AKG K551 Reviews

Cons: Sub bass is a bit lacking to my ears. Headband has a bit of discomfort.

Hello Head-Fi
It's been a while since I've participated here since I more or less found my end game and now I only have the urge to change my music player.
Today I'll be writing about the AKG K551 headphones.
In simple terms, these are superb headphones for all around use.
To sumarize my points early in case you want to skip the more in depth detail:
The good is that it's well balanced, it sounds natural, the pads are comfortable and offer good overall isolation. I find the soundstage superb for a closed set of headphones.
The bad is that for portable headphones, these are huge. The cable is not removable (not a deal breaker for me but with my experience with the Beyerdynamic T5p...

So, like all of us on this forum, I love music... couldn't live without it. Whilst I own some decent-ish headphones (Bose QC20i, Bose QC15, Sennheiser Momentums) I wanted something with a bit more musicality. The Momentums I never really liked. I also wanted an all round set of phones that I could use in the house or when out and about, which ruled out open back.
During a single audition session I tried all of the major players in the mid-range closed back field - and I tried them with all sorts of music since, whilst I am no basshead, I do like some depth to my lows.
So, imagine my surprise when the K551's emerged as my favourites!
The soundstage is...

Cons: Some people might not like the treble region, the cable seems flimsy

Personally, this is my favorite headphone.
I gave this headphone a conservative 4/5 because I simply have not had the chance to try all the headphones in the world, so I'm sure there are some headphones that can hit 5/5.
First of all, these are closed back headphones with a good amount of isolation. With that said, it is amazing how 'airy' these headphones feel. They offer tight bass with punch which is quite unique to its class. Furthermore, this headphone has a beautiful treble region which gives tons of sparkle giving you the feeling that this headphone reveals a lot of detail.
The only negative thing I can say about these headphones, it is that some people...

I'm a newbie to hi-fi headphones, but I'll do what I can.
The bass is fantastic, and I point this out because so many people complain about the lack of bass. It isn't this thumping and muddy sound, but very clear with an entire range to it. For bass-heads this might not be what you want. Although, when I sampled dub step on them (not really a fan of the genre) I could get the bass poppin' by changing the EQ.
The sound is very clear and even, however I would call the high's a little bit harsh (but not unbearable).
The range is amazing. They're very warm in the winter.
The cable should be detachable for this much money and could be a little bit longer....

Pros: Audio quality, comfort, short cable for outdoors, sound control on cable, powerful enough for iphone and ipods, no excessive bass

Cons: If you don't like the Princess Leia look also not suitable for cycling because of safety helmets issue

Built for outdoor use like jogging and walking because of the shortness of the cable and the remote volume control. I enjoyed listening to classical music, folk, rock music with it. Sounds were rich and well balanced, highly differentiated but with no overpowering bass.
The head phones do justice to Noah and the Whale's music for their complex string orchestra and rock music mix.
Great jogging companion. Some dispute that the grip is too loose and falls off from jogging movements. Mine stayed well on my head and were extremely comfortable. I guess we all have different head sizes and shapes. To see if these headphones fit your jogging lifestyle, the only way to...